VFW Post 7916 hosts ceremony to honor Vietnam veterans

The Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 7916 honored Vietnam veterans at a ceremony in the community.

“In accordance with Public Law 110-181 SEC.598; the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and recognize our Veterans who served in Vietnam,” stated a release.

There ceremony was held on April 4 in Occoquan.

The honorees, from a release:

Major Gordon Tassi, U.S. Army Military Police; LTC Mark H. Magnussen U.S. Army; Harold “Ralph” Holecek, Boiler Technician Second Class U.S. Navy; Wayne Dearie, Master Chief Boiler Technician U.S. Navy; Major David G. Cotts, U.S. Army; Marvin Coon, U.S. Army Aviator.

The VFW also held the ceremony as a way to remember the 58,000 individuals that served and were lost during the conflict, according to a release.

“The U.S. Commemorative Partners, such as VFW Post 7916, have inspired multitudes of Americans in towns and cities across the country to thank and honor 1.4 million Vietnam veterans and 1.7 million of their families,” stated a release.